DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

Salary : $140,000.00 - $180,000.00 Annually
Location : Municipal Operations Center (1300 N Broad St), Gastonia, NC
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 01738
Department: Public Utilities
Division: Water & Sewer/Administration
Opening Date: 01/01/2026
Closing Date: 10/31/2026 5:00 PM Eastern
FLSA: Exempt

General Definition of Work
The purpose of this position is to manage, coordinate and direct the operations, staff, and business activities of the City's water and sewer utilities and stormwater administration to ensure efficient and reliable operation while meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring alignment with City policies, priorities, and the strategic plan.

This job formulates short and long-range goals for the organization, develops policy, and prepares formal guidance documents.

Position works under broad policy guidance and direction of the Assistant City Manager.
Read more about this position by viewing the
Essential Functions/Duties

The essential functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the class as necessary.

• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee performance appraisals.
• Coordinates, assigns and reviews work and establishes work schedules; maintains standards; monitors status of work in progress; inspects completed work assignments; answers questions; gives advice and direction as needed.
• Manages and directs overall public utility department operations.
• Directs, develops, and leads a team of employees responsible for the water and sewer utilities and stormwater administration.
• Ensures compliance to Local/State/Federal Regulatory requirements.
• Develops and manages operational and capital project budgets, short and long-range planning needs, and utility rate reviews and recommendations.
• Administers and manages complex construction projects, prepares and reviews project contracts, analyzes proposed legislation and administrative regulation for impacts on utility.
• Completes assigned tasks accurately and within established deadlines; provides timely updates regarding significant operational, financial, regulatory, or personnel issues; plans and directs public relations outreach.
• Provides efficient and effective service to customers by offering suggestions and directing or participating as an active team member.
• Represents the utility by preparing and presenting at City Council meetings, committee meetings , and other related meetings and events.
• Confers with Assistant City Manager.
• Develops and implements goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for the department.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Comprehensive knowledge of principles and practices of water and sewer operations; extensive knowledge of the materials, methods, practices and equipment used in the operation of water and wastewater production, treatment, distribution and collection systems; knowledge of municipal public utilities administration, planning and design; comprehensive knowledge of municipal accounting and finance as related to water and wastewater utility operations; ability to prepare comprehensive financial, administrative and technical studies and reports and communicate complex ideas effectively, to a variety of audiences; ability to maintain effective working relationships with City officials, other local, state and federal career and elected officials, employees, contractors, industries, and the general public.

Education/Experience/Physical Demands/Special Requirements/Additional Information

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Public Administration, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Ten years of managing public utilities system administration and operations or related department/program experience.
• Any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be substituted.

SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES:

• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license with an acceptable driving history.
• NIMS 100, 200, 300 400 and 700 levels within twelve months of hire.
• North Carolina Professional Engineer License preferred.

STANDARD CLAUSES
May be required to work nights, weekends, holidays and emergencies (man-made or natural) to meet the business needs of the City.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions and responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

ESSENTIAL SAFETY FUNCTIONS
It is the responsibility of each employee to comply with established policies, procedures, and safe work practices. Each employee must follow safety training and instructions provided by their supervisor. Each employee must also properly wear and maintain all personal protective equipment required for their job. Finally, each employee must immediately report any unsafe work practices or unsafe conditions as well as any on-the-job injury or illnesses.
Every manager/supervisor is responsible for enforcing all safety rules and regulations. In addition, they are responsible for ensuring that a safe work environment is maintained, safe work practices are followed, and employees are properly trained.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical activity of this position includes:
Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or couching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium

Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction

Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling.

Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.

Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal spoken word levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make fine discriminations in sound, such as when making fine adjustments on machined parts.

Repetitive Motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

The physical requirements of this position:
Office Environment Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Office environment work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are categorized as office environment if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other Office Environment Work criteria are met.

The visual acuity requirements including color, depth perception and field of vision:
The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform the following:

Preparing and analyzing data and figures; accounting; computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines (including inspection)

The conditions the worker will be subject to in this position:
Theworker is subject to inside environmental conditions; Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.

The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (such as in a typical office or administrative work environment).

High Deductible Health Plan with HSA
Dental
Vision
Life
Supplemental Insurance Plans
Pension (Local Government Employees' Retirement System)
401(k)
457
Short-term/Long-term Disability
Dependent Care Plan
Employee Assistance Program
On-Site Health Clinic
Employee Educational Assistance Program
Sick Leave (12 days per year)
Initial Employment Vacation: Starting at 12 days per year
Holidays (11 days per year)
Personal Day (1 day per year)

A comprehensive list of benefits can be found online at
01

Are you registered professional engineer in the state of NC?

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) - North Carolina
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) Other state
• Not licensed

02

Indicate years of direct management experience for water/wastewater utilities:

• None
• Less than 5 years
• 5-9 years
• 10-14 years
• 15+ years

03

Largest number of direct/indirect reports supervised

• No supervisory experience
• 1-10
• 11-25
• 26-50
• 51+

04

Population served by utility system(s) managed:

• I have not managed a utility system
• Less than 25,000
• 25,000-49,999
• 50,000-99,999
• 100,000+

05

What is your experience with preparing and managing operating and capital budgets?

• No experience
• Less than $10 million
• $10-$24 million
• $25-$49 million
• $50-$99 million
• $100 million

06

Indicate your experience directly managing major water and/or wastewater utility capital projects (e.g.,treatment plant expansions, new facilities, major transmission mains, infrastructure rehabilitation, etc.)

• No direct project management experience
• Managed projects under $5million
• Managed projects $5-$9.9million
• Managed projects $10-$24.9 million
• Managed projects $25 million or greater
• Managed multiple concurrent large-scale projects ($10M+each)

07

Which best describes your experience with regulatory compliance in utilities?

• Direct responsibility for regulatory compliance (state and federal)
• Oversight of compliance staff/programs
• Participated in audits/inspections
• No direct compliance responsibility

08

Please select the one option that best describes your experience presenting utility-related information (budgets, capital projects, rate adjustments, regulatory matters, etc.)

• No formal presentation experience
• Limited experience (internal staff or small groups only)
• Moderate experience presenting to governing boards, elected officials, and at public meetings
• Extensive experience presenting to governing boards, the public, and at public meetings/events

Required Question